


The Cliff Waltz

by forgotmyline



Series: Fic Swaps [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Halamshiral, The Winter Palace (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 08:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5241845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgotmyline/pseuds/forgotmyline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levya Lavellan gets dance lessons in preparation for the Winter Palace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cliff Waltz

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the daficswap over on tumblr. My partner requested a fic of her Inquisitor preparing for the Winter Palace.

Levya pushed a strand of pale hair from her eyes, tilting her head and frowning at the scene before her. Josephine was in her element, her skirts twirling as Leliana led her in a complicated dance. It was strange, seeing her spy master with such a wide grin on face, giggling as she and her old friend tried to teach Levya how to dance.

She let out the breath she had been holding and crossed her arms, trying her best to concentrate on the steps. This was definitely worse than the previous day’s dinner etiquette lessons with Josephine (Creators, why did they need so many pieces of silverware anyway), but not quite so terrible as her lessons about playing the Game with Vivienne.

Still, dancing certainly was not a skill she possessed - she had never really had a reason to learn how, since she spent so much of her time with her clan reading and learning as she trained to someday become keeper. And even when other members of her clan had, on occasion, decided to pass an evening with song and dance, Levya generally watched, observing quietly as was her usual way.

The dance ended, and Levya couldn’t help but smile at how happy her advisors looked, how lighthearted and carefree they were. Maybe this dancing business wouldn’t be so bad after all? She could hope, at any rate. Leliana turned to face her, bowing low, hand outstretched. “May I have this dance, Mistress Lavellan?”

Levya looked around the great hall, her stomach churning when she saw the few people who had gathered to watch. A few of Leliana’s scouts, Maryden with her lute, Sera making faces at her while sitting on one of the tables, Vivienne sending disapproving glares in her direction from the balcony, Dorian and Varric leaning against the wall chatting as they observed. It was unnerving, and she felt ill from all the butterflies currently doing battle in her stomach. _Don’t look at them_ , she thought with a sigh.

Maryden started strumming her lute, her voice strong and clear in the great hall, as Levya placed her clammy hand in Leliana’s. “Don’t worry about the others, Inquisitor,” Leliana pulled her close, whispering words of encouragement in her ear. “Just follow my lead and you’ll do just fine.”

Another sigh escaped her lips as she looked up at her spymaster. “I wish I had as much confidence in myself as you seem to have in me, Leliana.”

There was warmth in her expression as Leliana smiled at her. “We’re starting easy, with a slow waltz. We make a box with our movements, like this,” she said, leading her in the steps of the dance.

It wasn’t so bad, Levya thought, though she would prefer not to have an audience. Her eyes flicked away from Leliana briefly and she stumbled. She tried to pull her hand away, but the spymaster held her tight. “It’s all right, Levya,” she whispered. “Pretend they aren’t here. It’s just me and you right now, us and the music. I’m wearing… Let’s see. Josephine will probably force us all to wear some hideous uniform, the better to ‘present a united front,’ but we’ll imagine something more fashionable. Sapphire velvet, I think. And you are absolutely resplendent in pale green silk, edged in darker green embroidery. We are are a sight to behold, yes?”

With her eyes closed, Levya let Leliana lead her in the steps, her mind conjuring up the image her spymaster drew for her. The pale green would look lovely against the tan of her skin and the embroidery would look like vines slowly creeping up the dress. She could almost feel the skirts of her imagined dress swishing around her feet.

Another sigh, this one happy. Levya could feel a grin forming on her lips and was almost disappointed when the song ended. She opened her eyes to see Leliana returning her smile, a rare sight on the other woman these days. “I did it, Leliana!”

“And very well indeed. You are a quick learner, Inquisitor. That’ll serve you well tomorrow when we teach you the Remigold.”

Levya didn’t know what this dance was, but she didn’t quite like the gleam in Leliana’s eyes, nor did she care for the giggles coming from Josephine. “I’m going to hate tomorrow, aren’t I?”

Leliana wrapped her arm through Levya’s, patting it as if she were trying to comfort her. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll pick it up, though it is a bit… livelier than what we learned today.”

The things she did for the Inquisition, she thought as she tilted her head back in a groan.

******

_The Winter Palace, several weeks later_

It was exhausting, trying to play The Game, and Leyva couldn't, for the life of her, imagine doing this on a regular basis. The intrigues, the death threats, never knowing who was truly worthy of your trust… why would anybody want to live that way. She walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the railing, needing a break from the rest of the ball. The view was absolutely breathtaking here, with the courtyard below and the rest of Halamshiral in the distance, hearing music from within softly in the background. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what the city was like when it was still controlled by elves.

Her thoughts were interrupted before they even really began as she heard footsteps. No rest for the weary, it seemed. “I’m not surprised to find you out here. How are you feeling?”

Her lips turned up into the tiniest of smiles as she turned to face Solas. Handsome as ever, even in that ridiculous hat. “It’s been a long night.”

His only reply was a nod, and a comforting hand on her back. She felt herself warm at the simple gesture, still amazed that something so small could affect her so deeply. They stood in silence for a moment, until Solas stepped back, bowing low before her. Levya couldn’t help but think of Leliana in the exact same position, asking her to dance during her lessons and a giggle escaped from her lips. He smiled up at her, his arm stretched out in her direction, hand upturned and waiting for her to take it. “Come, dance with me, before the band stops playing.”

She clasped his hand tightly, using her free hand to remove his hat and fling it to the side of the balcony. “I’d love to.”

Solas pulled Levya closer, keeping his hand in hers and placing the other against her lower back. He lead her in a waltz, the pale green silk of her skirts swirling around their legs as they danced, just as she had imagined it would.

This was a dance she could handle, she thought, as they spun around the balcony. Solas was surprisingly light on his feet, graceful and sure of himself in a way that Levya couldn’t imagine herself being while in a place so full of people she didn't know, doing something so foreign to her.

Still, it was a lovely feeling, being in his arms this way, and looking looking up at Solas, seeing her delight mirrored in his expression, she found herself very glad indeed that she had not given up on her dancing lessons.


End file.
